


Fairytale of New York

by Area50Dun



Category: Twenty One Pilots
Genre: Christmas, M/M, Songfic, fairytale of new york - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-11
Updated: 2016-12-11
Packaged: 2018-09-07 21:22:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,107
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8816629
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Area50Dun/pseuds/Area50Dun
Summary: The story of the classic Christmas song by The Pogues and Kirsty MacColl about a dysfunctional relationship and big dreams. Tyler wants to change Josh's life, but Josh is tired of empty promises.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Don't lie, you love this song too.

It was Christmas Eve and Tyler was locked away, his head swimming, his eyes unfocused. He had been picked up for being 'drunk and disorderly' even though Tyler didn't think he was being 'disorderly' in the slightest. It was one little fight in a grimy bar. Tyler looked at the man sitting on the bench opposite him. He was old and off his face on whatever his vice was that day. "Christmas" the man said, his voice gargled. "I won't see another one" 

Tyler watched him, his head aching, the alcohol wearing off. Tyler could see himself in the man. In years to come, that would be him. His heart ached. The old man starting singing quietly to himself, the only noise heard in the building. Tyler laid himself down and turned away from him, unable to look at him anymore. "thiddle i ay di diddle dum thiddle i ay di diddle dum" the man sang and Tyler recognised the song as The Rare Old Mountain Dew. He closed his eyes and thought about Josh. 

Tyler knew he was lucky to have Josh. If he was betting man, he would've placed his odds as eighteen to one and he actually won. Won the jackpot. He looked up at the house he and Josh shared and checked the time. It was almost midnight, the police station took so long processing him and writing him up when they told him he could finally leave. Tyler was itching to get out, he had spent the night planning his and Josh's future together. "I've got a feeling this year's for me and you." Tyler wrote in the Christmas card he had brought for Josh earlier that day. "So happy Christmas. I love you baby. I can see a better time, when all our dreams come true." He kissed the card and slipped it in his pocket, ready to give Josh.

"Where have you been?" Josh snapped as soon as Tyler walked in. Tyler opened his mouth, excited to tell Josh his plans for them but couldn't speak before Josh was shouting. "You got arrested! I know you did Tyler!" Tyler looked at his shoes. "'M sorry."  
"You're always sorry!" Josh paced the floor. "Tyler, this has to stop!"  
"Josh listen." Tyler reached out, Josh snatching his hand away from Tyler's. "We're going to make something of ourselves, Josh-" 

Josh was pacing again. He had heard it all before, empty promises, big talk about big dreams and how Tyler would save them both. Josh had been clean from drugs for two years, Tyler promised him that he would save him. They were going to move away, start afresh. It never happened. "It's our four year anniversary today Tyler and you spent it in the drunk tank!" Josh shouted. "When you first took my hand on a cold Christmas Eve, you promised me Broadway was waiting for me." 

Josh met Tyler's sad eyes. He had lost so much weight due to not looking after himself right, his eyes dark, blue bags on the skin underneath his eyes. "You were handsome." Josh smiles sadly. He still thought Tyler was beautiful, but something has changed in him. "You were pretty, king of New York City!" Tyler laughs and Josh smiles at him. "Remember that band?" Tyler nodded "when they finished playing, we howled out for more." Josh felt his heart break as Tyler spoke. Truth is, they were both high when they met, all their memories were tarnished. "Sinatra was swinging, all the drunks they were singing." Tyler reminisced, walking towards Josh. "We kissed on a corner, then danced through the night." Josh moved away from him again and he didn't miss the hurt in Tyler's eyes. "We were high." He reminded him, wiping the smile away.

"Josh!" Tyler shouted, snapping the tread keeping him together. "Why do you always have to drag us down?"  
"Me?!" Josh came towards Tyler now, anger in his face. "You're a bum, you're a punk!" Josh screamed, pushing Tyler slightly, more of a nudge than anything. "And you're an old slut on junk!" Tyler screamed back, knowing how to hurt Josh. How to throw away two years of being clean, stamp it down like it was nothing. 

"You scumbag! you maggot!" Josh shouted, tears falling. Tyler narrowed his eyes at him mumbling "you cheap lousy faggot." Josh froze in place. He was crying now and Tyler wanted to make it better. To take back the words and tell Josh he loved him. The church bells in the next street chimed, marking midnight. They stood in silence and listened. "Happy Christmas you arse" Josh said flatly after the last chime rang. "I pray God it's our last." He added, walking to the window. Tyler looked at Josh, his heart sinking. He had plans. Why didn't Josh care?

"I could have been someone." Tyler approached Josh, feeling like the worse boyfriend ever. The worse person ever. He was supposed to change Josh's life, but all he done was make him miserable. "Well so could anyone." Josh snapped back. "You took my dreams from me when I first found you." Josh's voice was small, like he had given up. Tyler pulled Josh away from the window, towards him. "I kept them with me babe." Tyler searched Josh's eyes. He could see Josh loved him, he had to believe that he still did. "I put them with my own. I can't make it all alone, I built my dreams around you." Josh looked back at Tyler, his eyes full of something Tyler couldn't read. 

Josh leaned in and kissed him, Tyler could taste salty tears, could feel chapped lips and it's all he needed. "We're going to get out." Tyler whispered. Josh nodded, his cheek pressed up against Tyler's. Tyler knew Josh didn't believe him. Another empty promise. Wasted words. This time though, he knew he meant it, this time, it was different somehow. 

They laid in bed, fully clothed, just holding each other. The sun came up and Tyler kept running his fingers through Josh's hair. Music started to filter through into the messy bedroom and Josh smiled. "It's the NYPD choir." He said, moving to open the window. Josh still loved Christmas, his favourite tradition was the choir that played on their street every Christmas morning. Tyler joined him, his arms wrapping around his love. "I'm going to change."  
"I know you are." And Josh really did. Tyler could see that Josh believed him. Josh and Tyler kissed by the open window. The boys of the NYPD choir still singing Galway Bay and the bells are ringing out for Christmas day.


End file.
